Washing Feet
Nine chairs lined the wall outside of casa materna, a maternity house for women. In each chair sat a Nicaraguan woman who had come to casa materna to seek shelter, care, and assistence during her pregnancy. One young lady was only fifteen years old and expecting her first child. Another woman was having her eighth baby. One lady had walked eight days over the mountains (while pregnant!), just so her child could be delivered in the care of casa materna.
At the foot of each chair that lined the wall outside casa materna sat a teenage girl. Some girls held buckets of water, others held towels. Some queezed lotion into the palm of their hands while others opened nail polish. But each American teenage girl knelt at the feet of a pregnant Nicaraguan women to wash, massage, and pamper her feet.
As I looked down the line at all the girls down on their hands and knees with basins of water and towels, it struck me. This is just like what Jesus did. As I took a dirty, calloused, bruised foot in one hand and gently massaged it with the other, tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about my savior.
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (John 13:14-15)
Today, as I washed feet in the name of Jesus, great pleasure flooded my heart as I realized that I was obeying Christ literally. It seemed like such a small gift, but washing those feet brought me closer to Jesus in a way that I have never experienced before.
As I rubbed my hands gently over their tired feet, I thought about some memories that I have with my mom. On special occasions before bed, my mom and I will massage each other's feet. While my mind flashed back to all the times that I rubbed her feet, I thought to myself, all those times, all that practice has brought me to this. Through all those footrubs with my mom, God prepared me for this moment. Massaging those Nicaraguan women's feet was like the climax of the story. I am not saying that I am a profession foot-massager or that you have to have experience to wash feet, but I did have something extra special to give to those ladies. And I gave it to them with all my heart.
You don't have to be in Nicaragua to wash feet. Wherever you are, you have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Christ by getting on your hands and kness to serve in His name. You may not need a bucket of water and nail polish, but rather a smile and a hug, an encouraging word, some spare time, or a simple gift of kindness. Let's open our eyes and look for ways to obey Christ, to get on our hands and knees, and to wash some weary feet.
At the foot of each chair that lined the wall outside casa materna sat a teenage girl. Some girls held buckets of water, others held towels. Some queezed lotion into the palm of their hands while others opened nail polish. But each American teenage girl knelt at the feet of a pregnant Nicaraguan women to wash, massage, and pamper her feet.
As I looked down the line at all the girls down on their hands and knees with basins of water and towels, it struck me. This is just like what Jesus did. As I took a dirty, calloused, bruised foot in one hand and gently massaged it with the other, tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about my savior.
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (John 13:14-15)
As I rubbed my hands gently over their tired feet, I thought about some memories that I have with my mom. On special occasions before bed, my mom and I will massage each other's feet. While my mind flashed back to all the times that I rubbed her feet, I thought to myself, all those times, all that practice has brought me to this. Through all those footrubs with my mom, God prepared me for this moment. Massaging those Nicaraguan women's feet was like the climax of the story. I am not saying that I am a profession foot-massager or that you have to have experience to wash feet, but I did have something extra special to give to those ladies. And I gave it to them with all my heart.
You don't have to be in Nicaragua to wash feet. Wherever you are, you have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Christ by getting on your hands and kness to serve in His name. You may not need a bucket of water and nail polish, but rather a smile and a hug, an encouraging word, some spare time, or a simple gift of kindness. Let's open our eyes and look for ways to obey Christ, to get on our hands and knees, and to wash some weary feet.
I like foot massagers really!
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